Journey of a Lifetime
by MoonsAreBlue
Summary: “What are the backgrounds of the people needing to be escorted?” Shikamaru said as he read the mission objective. “I was wondering when you would ask,” sighed Tsunade. “They are male and female twins, each carrying half of the Sixtailed Falcon.” ShikaIno
1. Jade, Akira, and Ruki

**Author's Note**: Alright people!! Here is my first ShikaIno series. It includes other people, but there _will_ be ShikaIno in this. And KibaOC. My summary is just below this. I hope you people will enjoy this series as much as I will enjoy writing it. And with Summer Break coming up soon, it will give me a wonderful opportunity to complete this!! Constructive criticism is _always_ welcome. I will **try my very best** to update as soon as possible. I cannot guarantee anything though. Enjoy.

♪♫Shikamaru received a new mission to escort seven-year-old male and female twins to Lightning Country, Fire Country's new ally. They each contained half of the Six-tailed Youshun (_Falcon_). They were taken to Konoha by Jade Shinchiro and her team from the Village Hidden in the Sand. Jade remained with the twins when she arrived at Konoha, while her other teammates rested and then left for home. She was selected to carry out the whole mission. So, Shikamaru, Ino, and Kiba are to complete this mission along with the new Sand-nin. How will this go? Read and find out. (My summaries suck…)♫♪

Thanks to "Shikamaru the Novelist" for input on this story!

Disclaimer: I don't even own _Naruto_ in my dreams…

* * *

Jounin, Shikamaru Nara stood before the fifth Hokage, awaiting his new mission. 

"Shikamaru, I will be having you and a pre-set team of ninja be attempting a new A-rank mission." She handed the man a scroll from her desk and continued, "Our military strength is still a bit low from the attack from the Earth Country. And including the loss of countless other ninja from Orochimaru's attack seven years ago, our numbers of ninja still haven't quite been reestablished. You know Wind Country is our ally, and Lightning Country has just been added."

Shikamaru opened the scroll and started to read as she was speaking, "Who is this 'Jade Shinchiro'?"

Tsunade leaned on her desk, "She is a Jounin medical ninja from the Sand Village. She is a very offensive ninja, despite her medic-nin teachings. Any other questions?"

"What are the backgrounds of the people needing to be escorted?" he said as he read the mission objective.

"I was wondering when you would ask," sighed Tsunade. "They are female and male twins, each carrying half of the Six-tailed Youshun (_Falcon_). They are adept in barriers but lack experience with their ages being only seven. You will be taking them to Kumo (_Village Hidden in the Clouds—Lightning Country's Hidden Village_)."

Shikamaru stiffened, "So you want us to escort two _children_ to Kumo? And this mission is A-ranked?"

"Yes. From what we've heard, the Akatsuki are after these two, just as with Naruto and Gaara. These _children_ have a monster inside of them that the Sand Village had left in our care to transport to Kumo. Jade is the ninja they selected to see the mission out, full-length. The Akatsuki aren't foolish enough to attack the city, knowing that the twins will eventually just be escorted to Kumo." Tsunade's eyes darkened, "Chances of running into them are high. You must understand that."

The man nodded, "And you chose me, because I was the best strategist and had the highest success rate for the mission."

"No," said the Hokage. "I chose you because you know your weak points better than any of these other Jounin know theirs. You also know the weaknesses of these individuals, having worked with them before, allowing you to keep strength up where it is needed. You know as well as I do that this mission has to be given to someone that knows their limits. You being the best strategist in Konoha…" she smiled, "is just a bonus."

Tsunade stood up and looked out of the window. "Kumo will wait. The people know of the Akatsuki and will understand all means taken to keep the twins safe, regardless of time. I'm giving you a week here, in preparation time, to hopefully cut the travel time needed. I suggest you round up your team now and meet with Jade. She is in the hospital speaking with Shizune at the moment. They're expecting you."

"Understood," replied Shikamaru. He bowed and left the room, shoving the scroll in his vest and his hands in his pocket. _How troublesome…_

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

Noon rolled around as Shikamaru trudged into the Yamanaka Flower Shop. The scent of dozens of flowers put him in an even more relaxed mood than usual. Ino stood lazily at the cashier counter, a strand of hair falling in her face, as usual. She perked up at the sight of the Jounin, "Hey, Shikamaru!"

His insides melted, but they stayed put. He loved it when Ino said his name. It had a gentle ring to it that nobody could ever place.

He pulled a hand out of his pocket and lazily gestured a wave, "Hey."

"What's up?" she asked.

"We've got a new mission," he said, placing his hand back in his cozy pocket.

"What is it?"

"Well, first off we have to go meet one of the medic ninjas from the Sand Village, Jade. Right now she's at the hospital with Shizune and—" Shikamaru began.

"Ino! Could you come back here?! The shipment of flowers just arrived!"

"Coming Mom!" Ino turned to Shikamaru. "Sorry about that. We just ordered some new flowers, and I have to go help Mom unload the boxes. It'll probably be about an hour before we finish. Do we have to go meet her now?"

"It can't possibly take you an hour to take care of some flowers? How many boxes are there?" he questioned.

"About three dozen boxes. And it's not as easy as you think," she defended. "We have to take the flowers and set them up in the sun rooms in the back, so they won't die. Then we have to water them and put in our nutrient soil. So yes, it will probably be an hour or so until we're done. I'll come look for you when we're finished though."

"How about I just help you? We'd get done a lot faster, and then the Hokage wouldn't be ranting down my neck for keeping Jade and Shizune waiting," Shikamaru finished.

Shock covered Ino's expression from head to toe, "You mean you're offering to help? You Shikamaru Nara, the lazy genius, is offering to help with work?!"

_What have I just done…?_ "Yeah, yeah," Shikamaru sighed. "It's just because I don't have anything to do _now_."

"But you never have anything to do," she pointed out.

"I _was_ planning on taking you and the rest of the team to the hospital to meet Jade, as I was just saying two minutes ago," Shikamaru replied.

"Ino! Come help me!" her mother yelled.

Ino sighed, yet again, and said, "Well, I guess we could use your help anyways…" She untied the apron strings from around her neck and laid it on the countertop. "Come on, before Mom gets mad."

Shikamaru gave an exasperated sigh as she went through the back. _This is going to be troublesome…_

"I'm here, Mom," Ino said as she walked outside.

"Good. The shipment just came in and—" her mother spotted Shikamaru. "Well, well, well… who is this?" she looked him up and down, eyeing the impassive expression with slight distaste.

"Mom, you know Shikamaru. I've told you before that he's on Team Ten with me, remember?" Ino asked.

"Oh yes! So this is the Shikamaru Nara I've heard so much about. What brings you here?"

Shikamaru scowled. He'd never really spoken with Ino's mother, but he could immediately tell that the mother and daughter were identical and in more than one way. Ino answered the question for him, just as he had expected though, "He's offered to help us out with the shipment."

Her mother's mouth formed that sly grin Shikamaru had seen on Ino too many times, "Shikamaru Nara, the lazy genius, is offering to help with work?"

_Isn't that exactly what Ino said two minutes ago…?_

Ino chuckled slightly, "Yes, Mom. He's actually going to work, and of his own free will too!" she paused to smirk at Shikamaru but then continued, "Well, let's hurry up. Shikamaru and I have to go somewhere."

Her mother raised an eyebrow, "You do? Where? A date I should know about?"

"What?!"

"Mom!"

She giggled and winked, "Just kidding."

"Mom, that wasn't funny!" Ino complained. Her mother simply smiled, but Ino continued on saying, "Shikamaru just needs to take me to meet somebody. And we need to go soon, so let's hurry already!"

"Oh," her mom said. "Well, in that case, I'll just call your father over to help me."

"What?! I thought he was still on his mission!" Ino exclaimed

She smiled, "No. He got back late last night and he was still sleeping when you went to open the shop."

"And you didn't think to tell me Daddy was home?!"

"It didn't really cross my mind," she said, matter-of-factly. "But don't worry about it! Your father will be able to help with this, so go ahead."

"Well, I guess we should get going then, huh?" Shikamaru said.

The two of them started out the door when Ino mother spoke cheerfully, "Shikamaru, you take care of Ino, or Inoichi will have your head!"

"Mom!" Ino's face reddened with embarrassment and infuriation.

"Whatever," Shikamaru replied. _Inoichi will have _any_ guy's head if they're with Ino._

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

"So who else is coming?" Ino inquired.

They were walking along the street towards the park. The leaves crinkled under their feet and the wind chilled them a bit. It was smack in the middle of autumn, so the conditions were only predicted. Ino wore her usual attire but had taken a jacket on the way out. It was white and fell down around her mid-thighs. It was a fleece-like material on the inside and leather on the outside. Shikamaru wore his usual outfit as well, his vest being his main source of insulation.

"Kiba Inuzuka," he replied.

"Wait. Why isn't Chouji coming?" she asked.

Shikamaru sighed, "You know how badly he was beaten up on the last mission he went on. He only got back a few days ago, and he's still in the hospital. You _have_ visited him, haven't you?"

"Yes. I went as soon as I heard that he had gotten back, but they weren't allowing visitors. The medic-nins were still working on him. I went the next day and we eventually go to talk. I just thought that, you know, since we're all on Team Ten together, I'd go pay him a visit. I knew you'd go to visit him, but… I didn't know if anybody else would… so I thought that visiting him was the least I could do, you know?"

_Ino's kinder than most people give her credit for… just like Chouji._

"Well, at any rate, you know he can't accompany us, so Kiba and Akamaru will."

"But why that loud-mouthed Dogboy?! He's about as annoying as Naruto!" she complained.

"But he's improved a lot. Besides, neither you nor I are very good at close-ranged battles. Kiba's physical strength is what we need to try to balance out the team," Shikamaru stated.

"I guess, but you don't even know where he lives, do you? Where do you expect to find him?" Ino asked.

"Where is Kiba always 'walking' Akamaru?" he asked sarcastically.

"The park…" Ino sighed.

Yes, the park. Kiba was always out with his dog, racing and yelling wildly. Thus, he was generally easy to spot, if one knew where to look.

"I told you they were out here, Akamaru! Shikamaru! Ino!"

Akamaru appeared out of nowhere and screeched to a halt, Kiba clinging to his back.

"Hey, I already got news of the mission," he said, dismounting.

_I still can't get over seeing Kiba ride his unnaturally large dog… _Shikamaru thought.

"How'd you find out so quickly?!" Ino infuriated.

"Oh, well I just got a scroll at the house a couple minutes ago, so I went out to look for you guys. Lucky me you were already together," Kiba scratched his head.

"But I never got anything! Shikamaru had to come to the shop and tell—"

"Since we're all here…" Shikamaru interrupted. "We should head over the hospital now to see Jade. The Hokage said she was there with Shizune. I'll explain the mission details along the way."

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

Upon arriving at the hospital, Shikamaru spotted two women near the receptionist counter. One he immediately recognized to be Shizune, or rather her back. He realized the other to be Jade Shinchiro.

In all honesty, Jade appeared her part; she was dressed as a Sand ninja. Shikamaru had previously seen the rather interesting clothing of the familiar Sand siblings, including the Kazekage, and had a relative idea of their style of dress.

From Shikamaru's point of view, he could see her black hair that fell to just past her shoulders, with bangs framing her face. He saw that she wore a long-sleeved tan shirt, matching her skin exquisitely, under a three-quarter length mesh shirt, like his own. Atop that rested a sand-colored wrap with turquoise patches. The sleeves revealed the mesh shirt, while the front wrapped around her side, like a kimono. A brown belt rested on her waist, holding weapons and whatnot. The kimono-like top was asymmetrical, stopping the right side off at her hip, and the left, falling to her knee. Dark brown shorts protruded from under her shirt, and a brown kunai belt with a white stripe was strapped to her right thigh. Bandages were wrapped up and down her legs, and the stylish ninja sandals—in dark brown edition—covered her feet. Her Sand Village brown headband was tied to her left shoulder, over the sleeve.

Despite all of that, the main thing that caught his eye was the staff she carried. It was made of a lighter colored wood, slightly darker than her skin. It was simple enough, only having bandages tied around the upper middle portion and a metal top. Two straps of the bandaging fell, hanging about two feet each. The staff rested against her body as she stood with her arms crossed, hands clad in brown gloves with the fingers cut off.

Jade looked over at Shikamaru and his group then Shizune turned around, having seen Jade's eyes move.

"Shikamaru," Shizune greeted. "Ino. Kiba. This," she gestured a hand, "is Jade Shinchiro."

"Hello," Jade stood, apparently not phased. Her bright green eyes struck Shikamaru with force. The eyes weren't cruel, just… oddly familiar. They didn't have the kind look of Sakura, or the cold look of Sasuke. They were similar to that of his own eyes. They looked at him accusingly; they searched for any hint of definition to his being. She was analyzing him.

Ino smiled with her good-girl look, "Hi." Kiba nonchalantly greeted with a smirk, "Hey."

There was something about this woman that was just too _subjective_ to him. The two of them continued to stare, continued to scrutinize each other.

"Shikamaru! You shouldn't be rude! Say hello!" Ino chastised.

"Troublesome," Yet he didn't disconnect the eye contact. For if he did, Jade would have the upper hand. _People are just like a battlefield. Whoever figures out who you are first, wins. _

Jade soon dropped her gaze when Shizune began to speak, "Shikamaru have you explained the mission to your teammates yet?"

Shikamaru nodded, "Yes."

Shizune said, "I think it wise of you to meet the twins then."

Ino suddenly stiffened. Shikamaru thought,_ These kids_ are _demons after all… I would imagine Ino to feel uncomfortable._ Apparently, Jade had read the kunoichi's body signals. "Don't worry. The Six-tailed is firmly sealed inside of Akira and Ruki."

"I know," Ino replied. "Do they at least know the demon resides inside them?"

"Akira, the brother, he's more mature than any seven-year-old should be and fully accepts the Six-tailed Falcon. Ruki, the younger sister, knows, but she doesn't let it get in the way of living. These twins are special. All of you must treat them with respect," she eyed Shikamaru vehemently with the last word. He had a strong feeling that the two of them weren't going to get along very well on the mission.

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

Shizune lead the group into a room. Two ANBU members were inside and soon left as Shizune entered.

_ANBU? These twins must be more important than we thought._

A young girl sat on the bed, swaying her legs. She had a short ponytail of black hair, with bangs outlining her face. She wore a shorter version of a kimono in shades of blue and green with brown shorts and mesh on her legs along with the brown sandals. She looked up as the team entered. "Hi!" She smiled and jumped off of the bed. "I'm Ruki! And my brother over there is Akira."

Shikamaru looked over at the brother as he stood leaning against the wall. He was dressed similar to the Kazekage, Gaara. The only difference is that the clothing was in shades of brown. His pants were dark brown, while his over-coat (his top that reaches down to his ankles—I don't know what to call it) was a light brown/sandish color. The vest was a dark brown matching his pants. Short black hair lay flat on his head, resembling Sai's.

He looked up at Shikamaru for a moment, but then turned his head to Jade, leaving him with only a glance at the child's eyes. They were angled slightly with golden orbs and small black slits for the pupils.

Ruki walked over to the group, a smile plastered on her face. Shikamaru noticed that she had the same eyes. _That must be the Youshun's—the Six-tailed's—feature._

The girl dropped her grin and asked, "Are these the people that are helping you take us to Kumo, Sis?"

"Sis?!" the group exclaimed.

"What's so surprising about that?" Jade asked. "Did Hokage Tsunade not tell you?"

"No," Shikamaru replied. "But I'm guessing we should introduce ourselves anyways." _I wouldn't have guessed the three of them are siblings._ He thought.

"My name is Shikamaru Nara."

"Ino Yamanaka. It's nice to meet the two of you."

"I'm Kiba Inuzuka, and this is my pal Akamaru!" Akamaru woofed at the sound of his name.

"These," said Jade, "are the Leaf ninja Hokage Tsunade has sent to accompany us."

Ino caught her last word, "Wait a second. Shikamaru didn't say anything about escorting a Jounin too!"

"That's because you're not escorting me," Jade stated. "I'm a Sand Jounin. _I_ don't need Leaf ninja help, but I can't protect both my brother and sister at once. Besides this is a task proving the Sand, Fire, and Lightning's alliance. It's only natural to have all countries take part."

Kiba complained, "Why is it that you know more than the rest of us do? I even got a mission scroll, and all it said was that we were going to escort some twins to Kumo. It didn't even say anything about you."

Jade raised her eyebrows, "That surprises you? I'm not all that important to the mission. Escorting my siblings to Kumo is the mission. I've no accordance to it."

"She's got a point Kiba," Ino said. "Shikamaru had to tell me about the mission, and the fact that Jade wasn't mentioned on your mission scroll makes sense to me."

"I guess…" Kiba trailed off.

Shizune turned to Jade, "I'm guessing you all will be fine then. Jade, you and the twins will be staying at the Hyuuga estate for the week. They are very hospitable people, and one of these three ought to know where it is. Have them take you there whenever you finish. I'm sure you will like the Hyuugas." She then turned and left.

"The Hyuugas?" Ino questioned after Shizune left.

"Yes. Hokage Tsunade already told me, and don't worry; I know where the estate is," Jade finished.

Ruki put her hands on her hips in an adorable fashion, "No you don't, Sis! You've only been from Miss Tsunade's office to right here. Even Miss Tsunade said to ask one of these guys! You just don't like asking for help!" she concluded.

Jade rubbed Ruki's head in a sisterly manner, "You caught me, you brat."

"Well, if that's the case, I know where the Hyuuga Estate is," Kiba smirked. A moment of silence passed.

_The two sisters are close._ Shikamaru decided. _But the brother, Akira was his name? He hasn't said a word yet. _Shikamaru looked over at him, and the boy walked over to the group.

"We may as well start our way to the Estate. There's nothing to do here," he said. He didn't skip a step as he walked out of the room. Ruki frowned and followed him out calling, "Akira, wait up! You don't even know where you're going." Jade shook her head and smiled.

"Has… Akira always been this way?" Ino asked Jade.

"Akira?" Jade started, "I guess so. He never was the social type, but once you get to know him, and he opens up… he's a really nice kid. Even if he's ten years younger, he's the perfect brother." She finished.

Shikamaru pointed out, "So you're well accomplished for a seventeen-year-old Jounin then, aren't you?"

"You could say that," she said. Her heels spun, and she walked out after her siblings.

"She's nice…" Kiba stated under his breath, after Jade was out of earshot. Akamaru whined in agreement. He looked over at Shikamaru. "What do you guys think?"

"Jade _seems_ nice, but I don't know her well enough to say much. I really like Ruki though. She's just too cute!" Ino squealed. "Shikamaru?"

He continued to look out the doorway, ignoring Ino's question. "Shikamaru. What do you think of her?"

"She's different," he said, lingering on the last word.

"Well, we should probably be following them then," Ino stated.

"Yeah. Seeing as they don't know where they're going," Kiba added. "Let's go, Akamaru." The large dog followed Kiba out of the room.

Shikamaru said quietly to Ino, "I don't like her that much."

Ino eyed the scowl on his face, "Why not? She's not done anything has she?"

"She's troublesome," he continued.

"Oh, Shikamaru. You say that about everybody. Now lighten up!" Ino coaxed

Shikamaru followed the kunoichi out of the room, down the hallway, and outside to the waiting siblings and a laughing Kiba.

_Very troublesome._

* * *

-grins- Now leave ♥! Sorry if you guys get overwhelmed with three new characters. Forgive me! I have put TONS of time and effort into this series ahead of time, so that writer's block will be less likely. **PLEASE** review, so that I know my _Naruto_ research and procrastination of school work was worth it! The more I get, the faster I update! 

**Next Chapter: A humorous training session!  
(The series title may change in the future****. The only thing I didn't put thought into was the title! Silly me. This was one I thought of off the top of my head.)**


	2. A Humorous Training Session

**Author's Note: I'll explain at the bottom, so you can go ahead and read. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: **_**Naruto**_** would make an exquisite birthday present… seeing as I don't own it.**

"I don't even see why I need to be here," Jade protested. "I'm a _Jounin_. I don't need to train with you people."

"I'm a Jounin," Kiba butted in, "and I train everyday!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Yeah, so does Akamaru! That way we can become as strong as we can be! Right, pal?"

Akamaru let out a growl and stuck his hind end in the air, in an attacking pose, as a response. "So with Akamaru training with me, we _are_ the strongest! Right, boy?" The dog woofed his reply and wagged his tail furiously.

Ino stood with her arms crossed. "I bet even _I_ could beat the tar out of you, Kiba," she jeered.

"You gonna make something out of that Blondie?!" Akamaru growled along with him.

"Actually…" Shikamaru began. "Why don't the two of you have a practice battle? Then Jade could see your tactics and I could see if either one of you have improved."

"I thought you'd never ask," Kiba grinned.

Ino smirked, "You're on, Dogboy!"

The group's surroundings were that of usual training grounds: a large clearing in the woods. Kiba walked over to one end, Akamaru alongside him, growling. Ino stood with a hand on her hip, waiting for his first move.

"Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba started to run towards her and his dog followed.

Ino easily sidestepped Kiba. She jumped over Akamaru, as he approached. On her decent, Kiba came threw a kunai at her back. It hit her solidly, but when she landed, she turned into a puff of smoke revealing a log. Substitution jutsu.

Kiba looked around, knowing she would strike at any second. He suddenly got a whiff of her scent and looked above him to find her baring a kunai. She smirked, only to have Akamaru jump up above him, tackling Ino to the ground. She disappeared into a puff of smoke, soon revealing another Ino, jumping towards Kiba from the ground, armed with a kunai. The first had been a clone.

Kiba ran and swung at her, "This is too easy!!" He yelled. His fist went through and hit the ground as she disappeared into another puff of smoke. Another clone. He slowly regained his stature, straightening himself from the throw of the punch. He picked up the kunai, prepared to use it when she emerged.

"Why don't you show yourself?! I'm waiting!" He looked around for a few moments. He sniffed, and caught a slight scent of her. As he spun to follow his nose, a sharp pain went through the wrist of the hand holding the kunai. He looked back to see a ring of blood all around his right wrist. "Damn!"

An invisible wire was being pulled from his wrist into the direction of bushes, containing Ino's scent. Kiba drew his own kunai, slashed the wire, tossed the old kunai and darted towards the source of the wire. He leapt over the bush, ready to pounce on the kunoichi. Ino kneeled there, eyes aghast. Kiba grabbed her in a chokehold, jerked her upright, and held the kunai to her throat. He smirked, "Looks like I win, Blondie!"

"I don't think so," Ino chided. She disappeared into another plume of smoke. A kunai legband fell from the clone—the source of her scent. "Dammit! When will you stop stalling for time with these clones?!

He spun around to see Akamaru leaping towards him. The canine pinned his master to the ground, limb matching limb, holding Kiba immobile. "Akamaru, what are you doing?! We can't wrestle now! We gotta get Ino!"

A kunai was dangling off of Akamaru's leg, wrapped with fishing wire—rendering it near invisible. Kiba was piecing the puzzle together.

He was struggling as Shikamaru ran off into the brush. Kiba watched him and yelled, "You're not supposed to be interfering!"

Shikamaru ignored him. Ino lay on the ground, unconscious. _This battle is over._ He carried her bridal style and came out of the brush. When Kiba saw Ino in Shikamaru's arms, he realized that the battle _was_ finished. Akamaru suddenly let Kiba go and fell limp onto the ground.

Ino's eyes flickered open as did Akamaru's. The dog stood up and shook himself awake. Kiba walked over to him to cut the stringed kunai from his leg.

Shikamaru could see a quick blush arise in Ino's cheeks, once she realized she was being held by him. Shikamaru returned the blush and quickly put her down. A moment of silence passed before the kunoichi began her victory taunt, "I told you I'd beat you, Dogboy!"

She stuck out her tongue and laughed in his direction. Kiba mumbled, "You caught me off guard is all." He blushed in embarrassment.

Jade suddenly interrupted the group, "Wait a second. Just how did you win?"

Shikamaru retorted, "I thought you were the _Jounin_ that didn't need to train with us. Surely you can deduct the process used."

"But Shikamaru. Jade's new to the village," Ino started. "I'm not even sure she even _knows _of the jutsu I used."

"Right," Shikamaru said. "Let me explain then."

"I think Ino should explain. She's the winner and she _was _the one to use whatever technique it was. How do you know what she did?" Jade asked sourly.

"Oh boy," Ino sighed.

"Ino, explain. I don't have the patience to spell something like this out to her," Shikamaru said apathetically. Jade scowled at his comment.

"I guess I don't have a choice then," Ino began. "It's quite simple really. When I my second clone came out above Kiba, Akamaru jumped and tackled it. The kunai it had got wrapped around his leg and it was attached to a string. I was in the brush and infused the string with my chakra to hold Akamaru in place while I used my Mind Transfer jutsu. Now I took my precautions and had a clone take care of Kiba. And he fell for it, face first!"

Kiba scowled, still blushing in utter embarrassment. He couldn't believe he had fallen for such a trick. He was so sure he would win that he underestimated the kunoichi. _I'm such an idiot. Now Jade probably thinks I'm one too._

"See, Mind Transfer jutsu allows my mind to take over the mind of another being, whether it is human or animal. But my body is left lifeless and whatever damage that is done to the body I have possessed is also done to my unconscious body. I had to make sure Kiba wouldn't find my real body so I distracted him with the clones. Once I took over Akamaru's body, Kiba was already starting to catch on, so I had to pin him down, causing the battle to end."

"I see," was all Jade said. "So Dogboy, as you call him, isn't that bright?"

Ino giggled at the comment, "But with that blush on his face, you can believe he's bright enough to know he made a complete fool of himself!"

Shikamaru sighed and walked over to Kiba, "Give it a rest, man. Besides your skirmish is over, so Jade and I will fight now. Then you can watch her all you want."

"What are you saying?!" Kiba yelled at his comment.

Shikamaru ignored him and spoke, "Jade, are you up for a fight?"

Jade spun from her whispering with Ino, "Yeah. Why, am I going to be fighting you now?"

"You got it," Shikamaru responded, "but this one will be different than Ino and Kiba's."

"Different how?" Jade questioned.

"We are going to be trying to take each other's headband," Shikamaru said dryly. "The finer details are that I will only use hand-to-hand combat against your attacks, but you cannot repeat a jutsu once you use it. That way we can see the maximum of your abilities."

Jade stood, indifference spelled out on her face, "That's it?"

Ino suddenly blasted a chuckle out of her mouth, "Hah!! Oh, God, Jade. You're going to have fun with this! Taking Shikamaru's headband will be next to impossible!" She silently laughed to herself, while Kiba held no remark. Although he wanted Jade to win, there was no way she could, what with going against Shikamaru—the lazy _genius_.

"Now I thought this session was set up so we could learn _each others'_ jutsu. With the rules you set, I won't be seeing yours," Jade stated. "When will I?"

"Right now," Shikamaru smarted. He made hand signs at lightning speed thereafter saying, "Shadow Possession jutsu."

A black line shot towards Jade at a velocity in which she had no time to out-maneuver. "What the hell?!"

Shikamaru crossed his arms, requiring Jade to do likewise, "This is my clan—the Nara's—special jutsu."

"I see…" Jade relaxed, realizing he wasn't going to harm her. She still didn't trust any of them even though she had no qualms over spending time with the group.

"Are you satisfied enough to begin now?" Shikamaru nodded his head while smiling, watching Jade reflect his moves. "I thought so…"

No sooner than Shikamaru released the jutsu, did Jade sprint towards him, brandishing her staff. He easily avoided the attack by leaping in the air. He looked downwards to see the metal top to her staff open and reveal a three foot wide, one and a half-foot long white fan.

The Sand kunoichi smirked and swept her weapon upwards, "Wind Scythe jutsu!"

Shikamaru felt a slash appear on his cheek and another on his wrist as he defended from her attack. _Looks like there is another fan-user other than Temari. But her fan is smaller, meaning so is her range._

His feet hit the ground, and he threw a smoke bomb—allowing him to produce two clones. Just before the smoke cleared, he ran into the brush, giving himself a moment's time to create a series of evasive maneuvers—plus a good way to acquire her headband.

Jade hit the heel of the staff on the ground, making the fan close mechanically. She then took out the two clones easily by clouting them with her staff. She did not pursue Shikamaru though; she had to come up with a plan.

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

_The more time I spend thinking up a plan, the more time he'll have to develop a counter…_ Jade thought. _And he seems pretty bright, so I have to think fast._

Mere seconds passed before she devised a foolproof plan to capture Shikamaru's headband.

Her chakra worked its way up to her ears to listen for his heartbeat and/or breathing. Surely he would be sitting, waiting nervously waiting for her attack. She signaled out her, Akamaru's heartbeats—his being slower with his larger size and species— and all other forest dwellers, including the heartbeats of Kiba and Ino, coming from behind her. She focused on the one slightly northeast to her position. Shikamaru's.

Jade quickly bit her finger, allowing a small amount of blood to appear. She flipped her staff upside down and smeared the blood on the base. Her staff spun back around, and Jade thrust it onto the ground yelling, "Summoning jutsu: Summon Hito Darc!"

A curl of smoke materialized beside her. The smoke faded to show a gray wolf, waist-high, beside Jade.

"It's a wolf!" Kiba gasped. Akamaru stood calmly beside his dumbfounded master.

"And…?" Ino raised an eyebrow.

Kiba blushed slightly, "Well, I was just surprised…" _Why the hell do I keep blushing?! It's going to drive me to my grave! Well, either that or their bickering_ over _my blushing… God, I'm so gonna die._

Ino didn't press him any farther for a change. She let his comment slide, but only because she was so interested in this battle. She was disappointed though, that Jade used a fan. Ino never took a liking of Temari—quite opposite— so Jade's fan was a major turn-off for their friendship. But then again, maybe she didn't even know Temari. That would be nice.

"Ready for some action, Darc?" Jade asked.

He replied in a low tone, _When am I not?_

"Well, then—let's go get Shikamaru's headband," she said menacingly.

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

Shikamaru sat waiting for her move, but he wasn't waiting to be caught off-guard. It didn't matter when Jade showed up; he was just going to sense her before she got to him anyways. He had already devised a few plans of his own, and he had an advantage, see. He knew many of Temari's moves, so the plans were focused on her weaknesses. Shikamaru was sure to win.

Shikamaru suddenly lurched forward a few feet. In his previous spot, sat a gray wolf.

_You are going to lose._ It said.

"You're Jade's, aren't you?" Shikamaru question cautiously.

_Possibly. And my name is Hito Darc._ He said with scorn.

Shikamaru jumped to his left, just as a kunai passed him, piercing the cloth on his headband slightly. _A kunai, aye? I wasn't expecting that one. Better keep my eyes open._

He was swiftly pinned to the ground now, by Darc. The kunai had been a distraction. Jade appeared out of no where at a running pace, arm lowered to grasp his headband. Shikamaru hastily kicked Darc off of him—no wolf was going to hold him down. He hoisted himself onto his arms and delivered a sweeping kick in hopes of knocking her off of her feet.

Jade jumped over his feet, and Shikamaru threw a punch at her gut. She blocked it with her staff in one hand. She reached for his left arm—on which his headband was tied—but Shikamaru pushed himself back out of reach.

They wound up back in the clearing so that Kiba and Ino could see what they were doing more clearly. Darc suddenly jumped into the picture and ran at Shikamaru, Jade close behind him. "I don't believe you are going to succeed in this, Jade," Shikamaru taunted.

"And neither will you, because we seem evenly matched at the moment," Jade said.

"I'd rather not think so," said Shikamaru.

Jade pulled another kunai out and threw it at Shikamaru. He dodged it, but Darc ran into his side, causing him to fall to the ground onto his back. He quickly recovered onto one knee, but Jade made fast hand signals, "Temporary Paralysis jutsu!"

Shikamaru couldn't move. Well, he could, but barely enough to be noticeable. Jade walked over to him triumphantly. "I guess I _over_ estimated you for saying you and I were equal. Too bad, though."

She kneeled down beside him and slowly untied his headband, "Looks like I win."

Shikamaru stayed helpless on the ground, but he had a secret. He wasn't so helpless; he was just waiting for the right moment. Jade probably knew the averaged amount of time of her _Temporary_ Paralysis jutsu, but she didn't know of his near immunity to it. The jutsu mainly only slowed him, but after a few seconds, he could regain control. She was moving slowly as if to taunt him, but she didn't know.

She unraveled the headband and held it up from one cloth end, allowing the rest to fall down and shine in the mid-afternoon light. "You don't even clean this thing!" Jade said alarmed. "Do you really not care that much?"

Bingo.

Shikamaru was on his feet. He held both headbands in his hand now, "Shinobi rule number 12: Never underestimate your opponent."

Jade stared in aghast. How in the world did he move that fast?! How in the world could he _move_? He should still be paralyzed. There was more to this man than first glance. Jade found out the hard way.

Shikamaru tied his headband back on his bicep and looked at Jade's Sand headband. "It looks as if you spend too much time cleaning yours and not enough time training," Shikamaru said bluntly.

He tossed it over in her direction, and Jade caught it, barely registering what was happening.

"I've seen what I needed to see for the day. You are all dismissed," Shikamaru said in his usual tone.

Jade unsummoned Darc, and shortly after Kiba began to talk, "Hey, I was thinking about going out to eat, do you guys want to go with me? My buy." He winced at his own words. At least he wasn't going to have Chouji with them.

Jade shook herself out of a reverie and said, "Sure, why not? I don't have anything else to do."

"Me either," Ino said. "My parents are out on a mission, and I was staying at Sakura's, but she's on a solo mission now. So I'm free. Are you going to come too, Shikamaru?"

"Too much of a drag," he said plainly.

"Oh, come on!" Ino yelled. "What else could you possibly have to do?! It's lunch time now, so you must be hungry! Plus Kiba's buying, so you have no excuse to not come with us! And don't even _start_ with it being 'too troublesome.' I'll punch the brains right out of you!"

Jade and Kiba stood startled by the kunoichi's actions. Jade whispered aloud, "Is she always like this?"

"By the unphased look Shikamaru's face… I would say so," Kiba replied.

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

"So where are the twins today?" Ino asked.

The four of them sat, girls on one side, guys on the other. Akamaru lay under the table, contentedly whining from Kiba, slowly scratching him with his foot.

Jade turned her head and responded, "That nice, Hinata girl, was it? She volunteered to take them out for the day, since I was training. She would really make a wonderful mother. She treats the twins so well, even knowing of the demon."

Kiba chuckled under his breath, "Well, Hinata definitely has a thing for people with demons…"

Ino laughed with him, "Yeah… she _is_ dating Naruto after all. And of all people…"

"What? Naruto?" Jade questioned.

Shikamaru commented, "Naruto is a Jinchuuriki. He houses the Nine-tailed fox. Despite the fact, Hinata has never treated him inferior to anybody as so many of the other people in this village have. She's always respected him and liked him, for that matter. She understands the fact that the Jinchuuriki are still human—they're still people, just like us."

"She has a good heart," Kiba said quietly.

Their food finally arrived. Everyone each received their trays and carried light conversation throughout the rest of the meal. Kiba paid at the end, and offered to walk Jade around the town. She obliged, and Shikamaru and Ino made their own way home.

"So day two. Do you like Jade yet?" Ino asked.

"Like?" Shikamaru asked, startled.

"Not 'like' like that, stupid! I mean are you okay with her now?" Ino softened.

"She's still different," Shikamaru said calmly. "So I don't know."

"Well, I like her. I don't see why you don't. Besides, you treated her very nasty in the last part of your practice," Ino pointed out.

"Because she thinks she's better than us, so she doesn't have to work as hard. She became Jounin at an early age, so now she thinks she gets a break. It doesn't work that way," Shikamaru said bitterly.

"It seems to work for you," Ino retorted. "You became Chuunin at what? Eleven, twelve was it? Then Jounin early this year. You're a genius, so you don't _have_ to work as hard. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but people are a two-way street, Shikamaru. And the road isn't the same for each person.

"You have your road with your dad, while you have a different one with Chouji—"

"But Chouji's different," Shikamaru interrupted.

"Exactly," Ino replied. "We have our road, and hopefully you'll form a friendly one with Jade."

Silence passed for a moment, "What do you think of our road?" Ino asked.

Shikamaru replied steadily, "I'd say, speaking in your metaphor… we have our ruts and potholes, but the worst is behind us. We're well off now."

"That's not what I mean, Shikamaru," Ino said shyly. She felt her cheeks redden. _Dammit! _"What kind of friend do you see in me?" Sheheld her breath, waiting for his response.

"Moody," Shikamaru replied.

"MOODY?!?!?" Ino exploded. Now her face was red with anger. "What the hell are you talking about?! I'm not moody!!!"

"If you'll let me finish…" Shikamaru began.

Ino's flame went down to a small flicker, like a match's flame—small but hot.

"You're moody, ignorant—" Shikamaru continued

"WHAT THE—" Shikamaru thrust his hand up to Ino's mouth, yet when it reached her face, it was gentle. His callused hand covered her exploding mouth, "I told you to let me finish," he said in an annoyed voice.

Ino relaxed, and Shikamaru pulled his hand away and placed it back in his pocket. "No interruptions this time," he said.

The kunoichi nodded. She would just have to settle with imagining herself ripping him to shreds and smothering him with her foot.

"You're moody, ignorant, selfish, vain, but an extraordinary friend."

Ino gasped with the last word. Lucky the oblivious Shikamaru didn't notice. Typical.

"You're always by my side if I need you—or if I don't for that matter…" Shikamaru started to trail off, but his voice came back strong. "I like being with you. Your presence, however troublesome it is, makes me feel like an ordinary person, not some lazy genius." He looked at her with the last sentence.

Ino's face was burning, and there was nothing she could do about it. Moments passed before she could say anything. "Same here."

She smiled one of her genuine smiles, and unexpectedly hugged Shikamaru. This time, he was the one blushing. The only time they had ever hugged was shortly after their sensei's death, when Ino had a mental breakdown. She had always regarded Asuma as a second father. She had cried in his arms, only to have her attack him when he muttered 'troublesome.'

This time was different though, she wasn't crying; she was smiling and because of him. Shikamaru had no choice but to hug her back, seeing as his arms were already wrapped around her waist before he knew it.

They released and Shikamaru said mockingly, "I told you you're moody. First you were lecturing me, then yelling at me, and now you just hugged me. Whatever will you do next?"

**Author's Note: I hope you all are satisfied for the moment. My computer got a virus and we had to send it in to my mom's friend. He had to reboot my computer so I'm lucky I even got my fanfic folder back. I realized that some parts in the story were rushed, but I tried not to let that happen! Oh, well. I'm not perfect.  
**

**If you are kind enough to review, I would like you to say if my fighting scenes were alright. It was the first time that I wrote something along those lines, so I want to know if I did any good or not. And remember CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS ALWAYS WELCOME.**

**  
Next Chapter: Goodbye Konoha. Hello Open Road.  
**


	3. Goodbye Konoha, Hello Open Road

**Author's Note: You all are probably amazed that I finally updated. So I won't bother to explain, and you can hurry up and read! Enjoy.**

* * *

"Goodbye Hinata!" shouted an enthusiastic Ruki. "It was nice to meet you!" 

Hinata waved back to the little bundle of joy and said in her hushed voice, "It was an honor to meet you too Miss Ruki!"

Ruki giggled and looked over to Akira. He was glum as usual, but he did seem a little less glum.

Jade waved her goodbye silently, and the siblings turned and took off to the Konoha gates. Jade's staff made slight thuds against the concrete sidewalk. _It's such a lovely day out._

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

"What…?" said a sleepy Kiba. "Huh? Hey Akamaru, stop that!"

Akamaru continued to pull Kiba by his sleeve. Sometimes humans were just too slow.

Kiba scrambled out of bed, ungraciously. Akamaru woofed at his success, and Kiba yawned in misery. Another Saturday that he had to be up early… He showered, threw his clothes on, and walked over to his door. On the back of it was a conveniently placed calendar. _The day, the day, the day… Shoot, what day is it again?_

His eyes caught sight of chicken-scratch written below a certain Saturday. **Konoha gates 9:00.**

"Oh god… _THAT'S TODAY!!!!"_

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

Ino was eating breakfast when her father yelled from across the house, "Ino, darling! I'm leaving to go open the shop! Do you want to come with me?!"

Ino yelled back with equal volume—quite an easy task for her, "Sorry Daddy! I have that mission to leave for today remember?!"

There was a loud 'thunk' heard in Inochi's general direction. "Daddy?" Ino yelled. "Daddy, you all right?!"

Inoichi flew into the kitchen at lightning speed, "INO!!!" He wrapped his arms around his daughter and picked her up out of her chair, leaving her feet to dangle in the air, "Daddy stop!!" Ino pleaded.

"My dearest daughter!! I don't know what I'll do without you!" He twisted in his spot, causing Ino's body to be flung this way and that way.

"Daddy. Daddy! I'll be fine! Now put me down!! I only have fifteen minutes until I have to be at the gates! And I still have to finish eating!!"

"Oh!" Inoichi promptly dropped his daughter back in her seat. "I just remembered that your mother wanted me to open the shop early today, because she was going to start cleaning after her meeting at the Hokoage's office."

Inoichi looked to the clock and grabbed his head in madness, "OH NO!!! I'm fifteen minutes late!!! Oh your mother is going to shoot me!!!! Bye now, darling!!"

Ino sighed and proceeded to finish up her breakfast, "Sometimes, I wish Daddy wasn't so loud."

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

Shikamaru woke from a pleasant dream by his beeping alarm clock. He groaned and rolled over to forever silence the torturous contraption, only to miss the clock completely. He groaned again and slammed the alarm clock, nearly breaking it. Shikamaru sat up lazily in bed, eyes a quarter of the way open. It was very cold in his room, so when he stood up from his bed, he took the sheets with him.

He stumbled into his bathroom, stubbing his toe on the door frame. He cursed a million times as he leaned against the frame, holding his foot. When the pain left, he went to his sink and splashed his face with warm water. Perhaps that would make the room seem less cold.

Shikamaru showered then trudged back into his room, threw the sheet back onto his bed, and started to get dressed. He finished up by grabbing his vest and searching in the chest pocket that he placed his hair-tie in at night, to find it absent. "What the hell…" He said through gritted teeth.

"WHAT ELSE COULD GO WRONG?!?!?"

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

"I hope you three had a good stay here this week," said Tsunade.

"We did," replied Jade.

Tsunade turned her attention to the rest of the group, "I hope you have had enough practice and preparation time?"

"Sure did," Kiba replied happily. He looked at Ino from the corner of his eye and smirked. That victory yesterday had felt _so_ good.

Tsunade ignored the comment and looked to the squad leader, "I assume you all are ready to leave?"

"Yes," Shikamaru replied blandly. _You guys are lucky I'm even here today. I barely made it out the door…_

"Now when you reach Kumo," began Tsunade, "remember to have them send message of your arrival immediately then return home as soon as possible."

"Yes, Hokage," confirmed Shikamaru.

"Alright then! I wish you good luck on your journey and a safe return trip!" Tsunade concluded.

Shikamaru looked at her, suspiciously, but she gave him a stern look back, "Watch out for the Akatsuki…"

He nodded in silent and turned to the group, "Let's head out."

"Alright!" yelled Kiba, "I can't wait to see what comes our way! It's about time that I've gotten a decent mission!" Akamaru barked at the sound of his excitement.

"Hey, Sis!" said Ruki actively, "I'll race you to that tree over there!" She took off in a sprint, Jade following closely. Akira smiled inwardly at the enthusiasm.

"Well, everybody seems to be in a good mood today," Ino pointed out.

"Sure," said Shikamaru.

"You seem gloomier than usual today, Shikamaru. Something wrong?" Ino asked.

"No." Shikamaru replied. _Why is everybody so happy? Even that little Akira kid smiled._

"Shikamaru… Something must be wrong," Ino persisted.

"Nothing. Just leave me alone, will you?" he retorted.

"Well, you don't got to be such a jerk about it!" Ino strode off ahead of him, not even casting a backward glance.

The group continued to walk at an even pace, Jade in the lead with her siblings on either side of her, Ino laughing at Akamaru who was chasing a stick Kiba had just thrown, and Shikamaru lagging in the back. No one ever cast him one glance. No one cracked a joke about him. They were all in high spirits, and Shikamaru just didn't know why.

He looked at Ino, laughing without a care in the world, as she walked alongside Kiba. He was relieved to see her hanging off someone else's shoulder. Sometimes, it just seemed as if Ino lived to be around Shikamaru. She always aggravated him with her mood swings. One minute she'd be giving advice like she was a therapist and the next, she'd be biting someone's head off.

Despite the fact of relief and despite the fact of a wonderful day, something was holding Shikamaru down. Maybe it was just his normal disposition acting up. He always managed to smile when he went out with his team, but today, it wasn't his _whole_ team. Chouji was missing. He was in the hospital, and maybe that was the reason Shikamaru was so down. He wouldn't be seeing Chouji for weeks, but he knew it was going to seem like more than that. He realized he had forgotten to stop by and say goodbye. Hopefully Chouji wouldn't worry too much. That would be bad for his recovery.

The day continued on as simple walking. A few hours passed before the group turned silent. Kiba's growling stomach suddenly interrupted it though. "Heh. Sorry about that," Kiba said sheepishly. He turned around to Shikamaru and asked, "Say, Shikamaru, you think it's alright if we take a break and eat now?"

"Yeah, whatever…" Shikamaru replied.

"Alright! I'm starving!" Kiba yelled.

Jade laughed at him and said, "Oh come on Kiba! A big, strong man like you is taken down by a growling stomach? I find that a little degrading."

"Yeah, well," Kiba slowly came up with a comeback, "a big, strong man like me needs his food!" _What an idiot I am… _But Kiba wouldn't let his humiliation show through. That would be degrading too.

"We should probably find a stream or something first," said Ino. "That way we can fill out canteens while we eat."

"Aw, but I'm _hungry_ Ino…" pleaded Kiba.

"Too bad!" Ino shouted back, "It's about time you show us that big, strong man you were talking about. Because I sure haven't seen it yet."

Kiba growled and gave in, "Fine…"

Walking and murmuring then pursued until the group came up to a small stream about fifteen minutes later. Kiba immediately plopped down on the ground and pulled out some food from his bag. (_I have no idea what they would eat, so I'm just saying food)_ Jade walked over beside him. _Score…_ Kiba thought. _She's gonna sit with me! Hah. She must not be able to resist my charm._

Jade suddenly leapt into the air, into the tree right above Kiba. Kiba looked at her, offended.

"What?" she said, "You didn't think I was going to sit with _you,_ did you?"

Kiba hid his blush, "Of course not! You just startled me, is all"

"You Leaf ninja sure startle easily…" muttered Jade. She pulled her bag off of her back and grabbed an apple.

"Hey," started Ino. "I'm going to fill my canteen up. Anybody want to come with me?"

"Oh, I will!" said Ruki. She smiled brightly and grabbed Akira's arm, "Come with us, Akira!"

Akira almost fought back, but sighed in defeat before hand, "Fine…"

_How is it that she always has a reason to smile?_ Ino thought. She soon brushed the thought aside and left with them, leaving Shikamaru, Jade, and Kiba alone.

"Hey Shikamaru?" Jade called from her post.

"What?" he grumbled.

"You sure seem in a foul mood today. Any particular reason?" she asked cautiously.

"No," he replied quickly.

"I guess it's just me then…" Jade faded off into silence.

Shikamaru tossed his bag to the side and lay down on the ground. He stared up at the sky, _Why the heck does anybody even care? I wish people would just leave me alone._

A few minutes passed, and Jade broke the silence again, "Ino's been gone a while. I'm gonna go check up on them. I'll be back in a minute."

"Don't bother," Kiba said. "I can smell them from here. They're fine."

"Well, I'm still gonna go talk to her. I'll be back," Jade took her staff and left her perch.

She walked over to the stream and saw Ruki standing on the bank alongside Ino. Ruki turned around and yelled, "Hey, Sis! Ino just taught me how to skip rocks! Come see!"

Jade smiled and walked over to them. "Hey Ino," she greeted.

"Hey," Ino answered. "How come you're not with the boys?"

"They're boring… And is it just me or does Shikamaru have a stick up his butt today?" Jade added.

"Oh, who cares about that lump of coal? He's just being his own lazy ass self. I got used to that a while ago. He does seem a little more down today though…" Ino finished.

"So it's not just me?" Jade asked.

"No. Something's wrong. It's probably because Chouji's not here," Ino decided.

"Chouji?"

"Yeah, Chouji's his best friend. Shikamaru never really was the type to open up to people, but Chouji… Shikamaru confided everything in him. We've all known each other for about the same amount of time, but he always chose Chouji over me. Always. I guess, just knowing that he won't be able to talk to anybody just has him in a bad mood…"

"But he has you and the rest of us, doesn't he?"

Ino smiled gently as Ruki jumped up and down, yelling something to Akira. "Yes, but he'll always choose Chouji."

Akira stood, twitching his eye, "Shouldn't we be getting back to the others?"

Jade laughed at his expression. It must've been hard for him to keep a straight face while Ruki held him in a choking hug. Ino giggled and said, "Yeah, I guess so."

Akira started walking, dragging Ruki along with him, still the glum look on his face.

Ino continued to laugh, "Ruki would die without Akira, wouldn't she?"

"Yeah," Jade said, "and Akira would die without Ruki. We should get back, though."

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

"Sis, I'm tired…" yawned Ruki.

Ruki was on Jade's back, her head lying down on her sister's. "I know, Ruki," Jade soothed.

Ino yawned, "We probably should make camp sometime soon. There aren't any villages near here."

"I agree with Ino. It's past sunset, and I can barely see. I think Kiba's the only one who really knows where we're going," Jade said. "What do you say, Shikamaru? Want to call it a day yet?"

"Sure. I'm kind of tired myself… Kiba, go out into the woods and see if you can find a secluded clearing," said Shikamaru.

"Right. I'll be back before you know it. Come on Akamaru!" The two turned and ran into the forest.

Akira commented, "You think it's wise to send that Dogboy out on his own?"

"Akira, don't question. Shikamaru's the team leader. We do what he says without question," Jade chastised.

"But I'm not part of the team. Ruki and I are the mission. Do you think it's wise to send Kiba out by himself?"

Shikamaru sighed. That kid never did look good. "He's not alone. He's got Akamaru. I chose him, because as Jade was saying, he's the one of us with the best eyesight, and he has an advanced sense of smell, so it will be easy for him to get back to us quickly. His advanced hearing will also pick up any of our sounds incase someone decided to launch a surprise attack on us."

Akira stood in silence for a moment before retorting, "Maybe you are as bright as Gaara says you are."

Kiba came back with good fortune and took the group to an adequately sized clearing. Shikamaru continued in giving orders once they got there, "Jade, Ino, and Ruki. I need you to go out and look for some firewood. Leave your bags here, and Kiba, Akira, and I will start to set up camp. Don't stay out too long though. Just get enough wood for an hour or two. And take a flashlight or something."

"Alright." The three dropped their bags. Jade and Ino fished out their flashlights, and then went off deeper into the forest.

"Hey, Shikamaru? What kind of camp are we supposed to set up? I know we have tents and all, but it doesn't look like it's going to rain," Kiba pointed out.

Shikamaru took his bag off and laid back down, lying his head on his bag, "My point exactly."

"Wow, you really are a bum," Kiba chuckled. "Well, I'm gonna help the gals gather wood. Don't want to have them come back screaming at me!" Akamaru made a low whine, and Kiba muttered under his breath, "I don't think Shikamaru really cares that much about what she'll do…"

Kiba and the girls came back a little while later, even little Ruki was carrying an armful of twigs. Ino eyed Shikamaru with disgust but didn't say a word. _At least Kiba's considerate._ Akira was leaning up against a tree, nodding off into sleep. _I keep forgetting he's the same age as Ruki. These long days will take a toll on him too._

Kiba quickly lit a fire while everybody took out their sleeping bags and whatnot. Akamaru lay curled up near Jade, and she coped in scratching his head. _Atta boy, Akamaru… _Kiba smirked.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry it's so short, people. I've had problems and …distractions… -****cough-**** Jake –****cough-**** The next chapter will be a ton more exciting though. I promise fighting to you!!**

**Next Chapter: What's A Day Without Surprises?**


	4. What's A Day Without Surprises?

**Author's Note: So. Ino has a special little power that enables her to communicate with the people that allow her into their mind. Like Shikamaru! It's just for this fic, so don't go all "No she doesn't! I looked on Wikipedia!!" on me. If she does happen to have that ability, then I didn't know about it. So yeah… Enjoy.

* * *

**"Well, who knew there was a village out here on the border?" Ino asked.

"I sure didn't," Kiba replied.

The group had just come over a hill and out below them laid a well-sized village. A central road ran through it, with accommodations on either side. A few streets branched off, giving room for individual homes.

"Does that sign say 'Inn'?!" Ino squealed.

"Looks like it," Jade said. "Say, Shikamaru? How much money did Hokage Tsunade give us?"

"Plenty," he answered.

"Great! We'll get to sleep on real beds! Oh, and maybe there'll be some cute guys around here! What do you say, Jade?"

"Sure Ino…" Jade rolled her eyes.

"Hey, look guys," Kiba pointed to some people outside of the village, standing guard, "Those people have Leaf headbands."

"Oh, they do…" Ino said.

"We should probably go talk to them," Jade said. "See what's been going on around here."

"That's what I plan on doing," Shikamaru said.

"So the lazy bum speaks," Ino taunted. Shikamaru ignored her remark and continued his way down the hill, as if nothing happened.

"How dare you ignore me, Shikamaru!!" Ino stormed down the hill after him.

XXXxxx------xxxXXX (_Rock ninja are from Earth Country. Mist ninja are from Water Country._)

"Yeah, we were sent out here on patrol. Apparently there have been quite a few attacks in the village. From Earth ninja is what we've been told," said the man.

The woman next to him chimed in, "But we've also heard from the villagers that there have been Water ninja. I myself am not sure about the reliability of the rumors. I don't even know why Mist-nin would be here"

"But why are they attacking the border here? This isn't anywhere near Earth Country," Kiba asked.

Shikamaru said quietly, "Unless they know of our mission. They might have been trying to take over this village, so they could ambush us. Looks like they're a little too late though."

"That means," Jade said, "that we should keep on guard while passing through here."

"We really need to stay on high guard for the rest of our mission," stated Ino.

"Agreed," Shikamaru said. He turned to the two ninja, "Thanks for the heads up."

"We'll be staying here for the night," Ino said. "Don't hesitate to come find us if you need an extra hand!"

"No," Shikamaru said. He looked at Ino sharply.

"What do you mean, no?" Ino asked.

"I mean, that watching this village is none of our concern. We'll be here for the night, yes, but we weren't sent here to patrol the village. We're going to keep to our mission, and these ninja can keep to theirs'," Shikamaru concluded.

Ino went quiet for a moment then came back, "Right. Sorry about that. He was chosen squad leader for a reason!" She smiled sheepishly, but the wall wasn't thick enough to keep out the fact that she felt insulted.

Everyone continued there way, Ino lagging behind even Shikamaru. _He didn't have to be such a jerk to me… Then again, it's probably because Chouji's not here. That idiot doesn't know what he has…_

Kiba looked out to the halfway-set sun, "I think we should probably go and get some rooms in that inn. You know, before they run out or something."

"Since when do inns run out of rooms?" Jade asked Kiba.

"I don't know! I'm just saying…" Kiba replied.

"I think someone's trying to hide the fact that they're tired at such an early hour," she taunted. "The sun's not even set, and you want to go to bed already. What a wimp!" she grinned evilly.

"Well at least I'm not some prissy little smart-aleck that goes around with her stupid stick, cracking a comment every opportune moment!!" Kiba shouted.

"Stop it you two," Shikamaru interrupted. "You're giving me a headache…"

Jade silenced and Kiba stared at her in aghast. _Since when did she start listening to Shikamaru?_

They continued through the streets, passing few people along the way. Some shops were still open; others were closing up. A few children were seen running around, which made Ruki giggle a bit.

The inn came into view, and Shikamaru entered first, being the one with Tsunade's 'gift.' A quiet lady greeted him from the main desk as he entered, "Welcome to our inn! Will you be staying the night here?"

"Yes. Could we have one three-bed room and one two-bed room? Preferably near each other."

"Hm," the lady looked to a chart she had to the side of her. "I do believe so." She handed him some keys from a rack. "Here you go! You can pay in the morning."

Shikamaru fished around in his vest and gave her the allotted amount on the sign on the wall, "Here. I'll forget it in the morning…"

She smiled pleasantly and accepted the money, "Thank you. Your rooms are the last rooms on the right down that hallway." She pointed to her left. "Have a nice stay!"

Shikamaru didn't bother to cast the others a glance. They'd follow. He walked down the corridor and unlocked the rooms. He peaked in one room to see if it had two or three beds and eyed a clock on the wall that read 9:00. These winter nights kept coming sooner and sooner.

Shikamaru turned around to the relatively quiet group behind him, "Alright. This is how the rooms will work. And I can't believe I'm saying this…" he scratched his head and sighed. "On the left here is the room the twins will be staying in. Along with them will be Kiba and Ino. Jade and I will be in the next room." He sighed and waited for the hounding. It was sure to come.

"What the heck, Shikamaru?" Kiba asked. "I'm not sharing a room with Ino!"

"Hey what's wrong with me?!" Ino shouted. "Not that I'd like to stay in a room with you either!"

"I wanna be in a room with Sis!" Ruki added.

"Why in hell are you making me stay with you?! I'm going with Ruki and Akira!" Jade shouted.

"Troublesome… I knew this would happen," Shikamaru mumbled.

"Forget this loser!" Jade shouted. "Ino! You, Akira, Ruki, and I will be in that room." She turned to Kiba, "Sorry big guy, but you'll be stuck with the idiot."

"Hold it, Jade," Akira interrupted. Everyone stopped to hear the boy's words. "Shikamaru put us in this formation for a reason. If you all would shut up momentarily, maybe he'll explain."

Shikamaru eyed Akira suspiciously, but Ino butted in, "So Shikamaru, why _did_ you put us in these rooms?"

"Just don't interrupt me as I explain," he warned.

He sighed and continued, "First, I put the twins together, because they would have no qualms over sharing a bed. Second, I put Ino and Kiba with them for protection. I specifically put Kiba in there for his strength. I put Ino in there, because she can communicate to me if anything happens, with her mind techniques. Third, I put Jade with me, because we were the only two people left, and I don't particularly trust you yet." He eyed her bluntly.

"And why the hell don't you trust me?!" she yelled vehemently.

"Let's say someone came and kidnapped Akira and Ruki, and you were in the room with them. You would immediately rush after them. You wouldn't wake us for assistance. You'd be too caught up in your rage that you would run straight after them, not even thinking to wake us."

"I would beat the pulp out of anyone that tried to touch my siblings!!" Jade defended.

"Say there were six enemy ninja that came. There's no way you and/or somebody else could fend off the intruders and protect the twins at the same time. I am sticking to my mission, and in order to do that I'm keeping the safety of these two as my top priority. Goodnight."

He tossed keys to Kiba and Ino and another to Jade, then walked into his room and shut the door, muttering 'troublesome.'

Three fools were left outside to stand in silence. _Of course,_ Ino thought, _Why didn't I realize that? I should know he has reasons for things. No matter how outrageous they may seem…_ Kiba walked into his room, followed by Akamaru. Ruki hugged Jade's waist, and Jade returned the hug. "Night, Sis," Ruki said.

"Night Ruki," Jade replied quietly. She rubbed Akira's head and bid him goodnight. The two followed Kiba into their room. Jade turned around to walk into her room when Ino stopped her, "Hey Jade?"

She spun around to face Ino, "Yeah?"

"About Shikamaru… He trusts you, but he knows how much you care for your brother and sister. And, no offense, but I could see you doing what he said if something happened. He trusts you as a person, but he doesn't trust your feelings and your judgment when it comes to the twins… I trust you, if that makes you feel better," Ino said.

Jade smiled softly, "It does, thanks. I needed to hear that. I can't help but think you might be right about Shikamaru and all… but I think I'd rather hear it from him. Thanks anyways. You sleep good, alright? Be sure to give Kiba a smart comment for me! Goodnight." She turned and opened the door, but paused before entering, "I trust you too, Ino." Then she walked into the room.

Ino stood with a slight smile. She was certain that what she told Jade was true. Who's the one that's known Shikamaru for over seven years now? She had an urge to contact him, but her power was reserved for emergencies. And Shikamaru didn't like her using the power even if she had to. He didn't like the thought of her in his mind. _I just want to talk to him… Dammit, why can't that lazy bum see me? I've been here… for so long…_

_Shikamaru…_

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

"Hold up," Shikamaru said. He looked in surprise at Kiba, who had said the exact same thing at the exact same time.

Everyone stopped in their tracks. Ino turned to them and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Take a close look around," Shikamaru pointed ahead of them and to the side of the group. "See those wires?"

Kiba narrowed his eyes, "I thought I felt something funny around here. Akamaru felt it too."

"So if there are wires around here…" Ino started.

"Someone was planning a sneak attack," Jade finished.

"You all remember what we went over at Konoha, right?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah," they all nodded. Ino walked over to the twins and Jade. Kiba moved opposite of Shikamaru, their formation keeping the twins in the center.

"Looks like these are some smart ninja… What say you Tamiko?" said a sinister voice.

An equally sinister but feminine voice said back, "Yes, Ren… some smart ninja. How about you, Hiro?"

"Yes, yes…" replied a last voice, "Bright indeed. Although, we weren't expecting a fourth ninja… Well, let's not keep them waiting. We do have to get this over with, don't we?"

Three ninja leapt out from the forest and matched each of the Jounin, leaving Ino to move closer to the twins, giving her more advantage in protecting them. The enemy-nin stood in no stance; they seemed quite relaxed. Hiro, apparently the leader matched with Shikamaru. He began speaking again, "See now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. We want those twins you've got, see?" He pointed to the twins behind Shikamaru. "Now what do you say? Hand them over? If you do, we might let you go with only a few bruises."

Hiro smiled and laughed, followed by the cackling of the other two. Shikamaru stated, "You have a Water headband."

Hiro looked at him, surprised. He looked at the headband around his neck, "I do, don't I?" H looked back at Shikamaru, "I hope you're prepared to get wet."

"Shikamaru," Jade called, "These two are Rock-nin." She turned to the female, Tamiko, that had matched with her, "So the Earth and Water Countries are in alliance."

Tamiko chuckled, "Really now, girl? I thought Wind Country knew that already… Well, it can't be helped that our enemies are so naïve." She shrugged.

"My, my…" said Ren, "What a large doggie you have there. I'm more of a cat person."

Akamaru growled and waited for Kiba's response. "No wonder you and I aren't getting along," Kiba said slyly.

Tamiko yelled to Hiro, "You ready to take care of these pests yet or not?!"

"Somebody's in a hurry…" Ren mumbled.

Tamiko threw a shuriken at him, barely clipping his short hair, "Shut up Ren."

"Stop it you two!" Hiro ordered. "If you're so impatient already, then fight these fools and blow off your steam on them!"

"Finally!" Tamiko shouted.

_(Note the first two scenes are taking place at the same time. The third scene is after the first two.)_

She drew out a kunai and ran at Jade, but Jade quickly blocked to kunai with her staff. The enemy taunted, "A twig? You think you can beat me with that thing?"

"It's not just any twig," Jade replied. "It's indestructible." Jade thrust forward with her staff and sent the Rock-nin flying. Tamiko chuckled at her efforts. "We'll see…"

Jade muttered something under her breath then pulled at both ends of her staff. The staff parted, revealing six inch blades on the inner ends. The blades glistened with some type of ointment coating. Jade smirked lightly and charged towards Tamiko.

The Rock-nin stood stationery, her action soon followed by hand signs. Tamiko finished and then shouted, "Earth Release Barrier: Dungeon Chamber of Nothingness!"

Jade was suddenly engulfed in a dome of earth. No time was wasted in her escape plan though: she was furious enough. _Damn! How the hell did I let this happen?!_

She muttered some words then jammed her staff back into one piece. She slammed it on the ground causing the fan at the top to release. Tamiko's voice cut through the dome, "Go ahead and try that, girlie!! You see, this dome is self-repairing, since I have distributed my chakra all along it, and it allows me to absorb your chakra. So go ahead!! Attack the dome! I'll absorb your chakra a lot quicker that way."

Jade ignored her comment and faced the voice, shouting, "Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

She thrust her staff horizontally and sent wind blades out, concentrating them onto Tamiko's position. All at once, the blades hit with intense fury, but the dome repaired itself before any real damage was evident. The Sand-nin cursed under her breath and developed a new strategy.

Her staff was hit on the ground again, causing the fan to close. She flipped it over and bit her thumb, allowing a small amount of blood to seep through. Once her blood was smeared on the bottom, she flipped it back around and thrust it onto the ground, "Summoning Jutsu: Summon Hito Darc!!"

Her faithful companion appeared by her side and asked, _How may I be of assistance?_

"This dome is chakra absorbent and self-repairing," Jade informed. She pulled out a kunai and threw it at the back of the dome. "But Tamiko's chakra is weaker in the back."

The kunai stayed put, and a small crack was shown at its place in the earth. Jade turned back to Darc, "I need you to use your Rasengan on the back."

_But…_ Darc started.

Jade pressed on, "If we don't get out of here quickly, all of our chakra will be depleted. You have a much higher capacity than I have, so please. Use the Rasengan before all of yours is absorbed too." She looked in Tamiko's direction "I can already feel it being sucked out of my body…"

_Alright. I have no choice._ He was defeated.

Jade smiled at the wolf, "Thank you. I owe you one, Darc."

_We have our blood agreement, so you owe me nothing and I owe you nothing._ Darc paused a moment then turned to the back. _I'm ready, _he said.

The wolf's maw opened wide and wisps of wind were being spun along his head. His pupils shrank and his fur rose. A growl was escaping his stature, and Jade was feeling confident. A minute passed, but yet no sphere appeared at his mouth. "Darc, what's wrong?"

The wolf closed his mouth and shook a bit, _The dome is absorbing my chakra too fast. I can't execute my chakra fast enough for the Rasengan to appear…_

"Dammit!!" Jade cursed. She was running out of options. Suddenly, the dome receded. Tamiko stood with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. Jade looked at her in aghast, Darc also giving a similar expression. Before Jade could speak a word, Tamiko chuckled, "Look behind me Jade."

Jade focused her gaze to the image behind her. They saw a wavy image of the twins, and Ino limp on the ground. Jade turned to Tamiko, "I-Ino?!"

"You got it!" Ino winked in Tamiko's body. "Tamiko was still while she was using the jutsu. So I had the twins set up a barrier and then I used my Mind Transfer Jutsu. No one will touch them or me for the time being. Akira said he and Ruki could keep it up effectively for about five more minutes, so we have to hurry."

Jade smiled in relief, "So what's your plan."

"I need you to hold Tamiko still for a minute. I'll return to my body and use my Mind Destruction Jutsu. It'll make Tamiko attack her allies. I would have used it in the first place, but I don't know if the dome's jutsu would have cancelled. So I took the safer route," Ino explained.

"Alright!" Jade ran up and held Tamiko in lock, holding her arms behind her.

Ino said one last thing, "After this, I'll help Shikamaru and you can help Kiba. He doesn't seem to be doing too well. His leg just got injured."

Jade nodded alright then Ino cancelled the jutsu. Tamiko slowly regained consciousness and looked around, dazed. Ino activated her jutsu immediately after regaining her own consciousness. Ino nodded once the jutsu was finished. Jade let Tamiko go, and she fell to the ground. She slowly rose then sprinted to Hiro. Ino winked from her position and darted after the Rock-nin while Jade turned her attention to Kiba and Akamaru.

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

Ren stood with his arms crossed, looking at Tamiko, "Damn, she's always been so headstrong."

Kiba smirked and pulled out a smoke bomb. He quickly set it to ignite, leaving Ren without a notion of what trick Kiba was pulling. He immediately put his jutsu to action. Akamaru was put into Kiba's form, thereafter calling, "Ninja Art of Beat Mimicry: All-fours Jutsu!"

The two dashed through the smoke, to find Ren missing. Kiba looked around furiously, being in his feral state, but tried to calm down momentarily. _The enemy is either in front, behind, above, or—_

An arm wielding a kunai suddenly thrust up out of the ground, slashing Kiba's leg. Kiba gritted his teeth in pain. A gash like this was going to limit his speed. _Dammit… I hope Akamaru will be able to compensate. But at this rate, I should take it up a notch._

Ren soon followed his arm out of the ground and began laughing maniacally, "Hah! So much for 'All-Fours' eh? Looks like you'll just be on three!"

Kiba yelled in his feral, lower voice, "Fang over Fang Jutsu!"

Almost immediately, he and Akamaru turned into white, spiraling cylinders. The spirals jumped from place to place, aiming at the Rock-nin. Ren shouted, "Earth Release: Earth Shore Return!" He slammed the ground with his palms, causing a block of earth to shoot out of the ground, awaiting the feral beasts' onslaught. One spiral headed towards the blockade, but was repelled, the wall only slightly indented.

Another spiral came immediately after the first one and hit the same spot as the one before, causing the wall to break. The spiral continued its way through, Ren barely making it out of the way. His own escape did cost a bit though. He covered his left arm with his right, shielding a large cut that bled through his tightly clenched fingers.

Ren dodged another spiral and attempted in formulating a plan, but was knocked out cold, or rather, killed.

Kiba and Akamaru stopped their jutsu, to see Jade hovering over Ren, her hand flat along his neck.

"What the?!" Kiba yelled. He cancelled the All-Fours and ran over to Jade. "What did you do?!"

Jade said calmly, "I killed him. My Mystical Palm Jutsu is generally used for medical purposes, but it also allows me to cut into an opponent, or ally if need be. I quietly managed to get behind Ren and I stabbed him in his heart from the back."

Kiba stood and his eyes shook, _Damn…_

"I was just checking his pulse to make sure he was dead," she finished.

She quickly explained the current situation then the two ran to assist Shikamaru and Ino.

XXXxxx------xxxXXX

Hiro's cackling was cut short, seeing as he had to dodge a handful of shuriken. He looked at the culprit and saw Tamiko, eyes hazy and pupil-less. Ino arrived at Shikamaru's side and detailed the previous events. Kiba and Jade soon came to assist, bringing the twins along with them. "Ren is taken care of," Jade stated.

"You mean he's…?" Ino started.

"Dead? Yes," Jade finished bluntly.

The group watched as Tamiko sparred with the Mist-nin. Hiro was avoiding her attacks easily enough but never went on the offensive against her. Kiba growled, "Well, what are we gonna do now?" He looked to Shikamaru for an answer only to find him in his thinking stance. Kiba smirked, and Ino sighed in delight.

"What the hell are you guys so relieved about?! We still have to take care of these two!" Jade shouted.

Ino sighed and rolled her eyes, "I keep forgetting you're new… see Shikamaru there?"

Jade looked at him then turned back to Ino, "Yeeaah…?"

"That's his thinking pose. When Shikamaru goes into that pose he begins taking everything he knows into consideration and is able to formulate a plan. He can even come up with counters and think one hundred moves ahead," Ino triumphantly explained.

Shikamaru opened his eyes and straightened himself. Time for some action. Hiro was still being troubled by Tamiko's onslaught. He suddenly stopped and so did Tamiko. He Rock-nin was frozen. Upon further examination, she was seemingly caught in a paralysis jutsu. Hiro lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder then yelled to the group of six, "Don't think you've seen the last of me!"

He made a single handed sign then disappeared. Shikamaru went stern for a moment then turned to the rest of the group, "Well, now we know we're going to be expecting an attack sometime."

Jade looked to her twins, assuring them, "Don't worry though. There's no way anybody is going to touch you!" She smiled and Ruki returned the gesture. Akira simply stood motionless.

"Although I will say this…" Shikamaru said. He sighed then hit his shoulder with his fist, "Thank god those guys are gone. They were so troublesome…"

Ino yelled furiously, "You didn't even _do_ anything you lazy ass!"

"And what did _you_ do Ino?" he questioned.

"I helped Jade out and cancelled the jutsu that was sucking all of her chakra out! You didn't do a damn thing but talk!" Ino retaliated.

"But you left your post," Shikamaru replied sourly. "I didn't fight, because I didn't have to. I merely extracted information from the enemy. You on the other hand, left your post in guarding the twins."

"They had a barrier up! And what else was I supposed to do when I was just watching Jade getting trapped in the dome?!" Ino shouted.

"You were supposed to stay at your post and let Jade figure her own way out," Shikamaru answered.

"Shikamaru," Jade interrupted. "I know where you're coming from in your leadership roles, but don't you think you're being a little harsh? Ino helped me out when I was at my dead end. If it wasn't for her the chances of me being alive are pretty slim."

Shikamaru looked at her bitterly, "And what would've happened if someone had taken the twins while Ino was helping you?"

"At least she did something before she helped me!" Jade shouted back. "I trust Ino and her judgment! She had Ruki and Akira set up a barrier _then_ she went to help me. She was still doing her job by protecting them. It's not as if she ran and left them out in the open!!"

"You people are so… troublesome…" Shikamaru mumbled through his gritted teeth.

"So are you!!" Jade shouted. Her volume exceeding her normal upset tone.

Silence passed for a few moments. Jade suddenly perked back up, "Hey Kiba. I remember Ino telling me something about your leg. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," he replied, slightly flustered.

"Well, let me look at it and at least close the wound." She kneeled down in front of him and saw the torn fabric on his left leg. "You can sit if you want."

Kiba pulled his leg away, "I said I'm fine!"

Jade sighed where she was and made no motion to move, "Kiba. Even if it's a scratch two inches long, it can still get infected. Now get over here and let me fix your leg. I'm trained so you can trust me."

Kiba growled in defeat then went and sat down in front of her. Jade pulled back his pant leg and whistled slowly, "Ouch. I'm surprised you're fine. That's a really deep graze right there."

"Yeah, yeah…" Kiba flustered red, luckily without Jade noticing. She held her hands over his leg, and his leg started to glow. The skin repaired itself, new flesh flowing over the reddened wound. Jade finished and sighed. She smiled at him and said, "Alright! You should be fine now."

She stood up and looked down at him. Kiba sat and rubbed his leg. There was no pain at all. He smirked then pulled the pant leg down. Akamaru walked up to him and whined in his ear. Kiba laughed at him, "No way! I'm fine, Akamaru!" He scratched the dog's head and stood up. He flashed Jade a smile, "Thanks."

She shrugged, "It's my job." She turned to Shikamaru, "So what information did you get out of Ren?"

Shikamaru sighed and looked at her, "I don't even get a five minute break before you people start asking me questions!"

Kiba chuckled, "Nope. That's just how girls are."

Jade and Ino shot him nasty glances. Kiba put his hands in front of his face, "I meant that in a nice way!"

"Whatever…" Jade sighed. "So what'd you get, Shikamaru?"

"Well… From what Ren told me there is a definite alliance between Water and Earth Nations. He also said that there is a feud between the two and the Akatsuki, over the twins. Meaning they are in a literal race to see who gets the Youshun first. I'm not sure how reliable the information is, but it's the only lead we have about what's going on," he explained.

Jade clenched her hands into fists, "Dammit all…" She soon began to shake from contained fury. Kiba walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hay, calm down, Jade," He looked down at her and smiled to see her stop shaking. "You got us, remember? You're not alone, so don't worry about a thing."

Jade stood stationery, not knowing whether to slap the imbecile or hug the fool. She simply refrained form both and walked away. _Damn… _Kiba thought, _Why can't I ever read her? She's so confined._

Silence enveloped momentarily until Ino interrupted, "So now what, Shikamaru?"

"Who me?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes, you lazy ass! What are we going to do now?!" Ino shouted.

"God, Ino. Can't you keep it quiet?" he groaned.

"Shikamaru, you better watch what you say! I can get a _whole_ lot louder than this!" she retorted.

"Fine, fine," Shikamaru gave in. "I'm just gonna take a breather. You guys do what you want."

"A breather?!" Ino yelled, "What the hell, Shikamaru?! Why do _you_ need a breather?!"

He laid down on the grass to the side of the road, "Why, Ino?" He stretched out and rested his hands behind his head. "Because you're troublesome," he said a little too nonchalantly.

That was it. Ino's fuse blew, and she went in an all out frontal attack on him. The poor genius was taken aback and was pummeled by Ino's enraged fists.

Kiba and Akamaru stood off to the side laughing too hard to do anything. Jade was still in a bad mood, and Akira stood stiff, not amused. Ruki was the only one to do something. She walked up to the fighting Ino and asked in her most innocent tone, "Ino? Why are you hurting your boyfriend so much?"

Ino immediately stopped what she was doing, and she flushed a deep maroon. Shikamaru, himself, was sent into his own reddened world as Ino tried to defend herself, "Ruki…" Ino started. She couldn't yell at the innocent little girl. "Shikamaru here isn't my boyfriend. I don't know what in the world gave you that idea."

Ruki looked up to the still red Ino, "But I see the way you look at him!"

"Ruki," Ino chuckled nervously, her blush returning at full force. "We are not dating. I don't want to tell you that again."

The small girl looked like she was about to cry, "So… you're not…"

"No, Ruki," Shikamaru interrupted. His blush had faded, leaving his apathetic demeanor to show through, "We aren't dating, and as Ino said, I don't know where you got that idea from. This discussion is over."

He walked a few feet away, and nobody followed him. He continued and then yelled over his shoulder, "Hurry up already! We're leaving! Now!!" He sounded angry, but just enough for the rest of the group to follow.

Ino followed last, her face still crimson. Ruki held back and waited for her. When Ino caught up, Ruki walked alongside her, "Don't worry about it, Ino. Maybe someday, he'll see that you care."

Then she ran along up to her brother.

Ino sighed to herself. The cute little squirt was right.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay!! I hope you all are happy!!!! I'll try to update soon! But… I don't have a title for the next chapter yet… Oh well. I hope you liked this chapter!!!**


	5. A Change of Appearance

**Author's Note: Wow. So it's been a while… Um, anyways, I just finished reading the manga up to date. Talk about powerful. Holy crap. I won't give away what happens for those of you that haven't read it, but if I had to describe it in one phrase… It was a complete jaw-dropper few chapters. I mean, did the author have all of this planned out from the beginning, or did the twist just pop into mind and happen to fit perfectly? Those of you that have read know exactly what I'm talking about. Still… wow… Anyways, uh, here we go! Enjoy.**

"Shikamaru…" Kiba growled warningly.

"I know," he replied. "Keep your guard up everyone."

Akira and Ruki quickly moved to the inside of the groups' protective circle. Everyone's muscles tensed like bear traps, ready to spring. Something was wrong in the air. Akamaru had sensed it first, but after it was pointed out, it was far too evident to be forgotten.

"I don't mean you any harm…" (White side)

Kiba immediately discovered the direction. He looked into the forest to his left, and everyone else quickly followed suit. Zetsu, the infamous Akatsuki spy, was at one of the upper branches of a tall pine tree.

"_Well… if you really want some harm though… heh… I am kinda hungry_." (Black side)

Unease rippled though the six of them. Shikamaru recognized this thing from the book of Akatsuki members that Kabuto had given Naruto years ago. Everyone from Jounin to ANBU members were required to read through the book at least once, and many copies were made to make this easier. Zetsu's profile was one of the more spotted ones. Little was known. He never attacked. He resembled a venus flytrap, and he was a cannibal. He, also, didn't travel with a partner. So unless he decided to attack, the group was relatively safe.

"Why should we believe you?!" Jade shouted.

"Calm down, Jade," Shikamaru commanded her. "This man isn't known for attacking."

"You _know_ that thing?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, he's Zetsu of the Akatsuki."

"Then why the hell aren't we killing him! You know he's going to report our whereabouts back to their headquarters!"

Shikamaru turned back to Zetsu but said to Jade, "Well, he obviously had to already know where we were in order to appear like that."

Jade shrank back.

"_Are you two finished bickering yet? My time is too precious to all be wasted on you scum."_

"Why should we trust you? What do you want?" Shikamaru asked.

"To simply talk. I'm on orders to not touch you, so please be good. I don't want to have to leave without giving you this useful information."

"Shikamaru," Ino said, "are you sure this is alright?"

"We don't really seem to have a choice," Kiba answered. Ino turned her worried eyebrows to Zetsu in response.

"Are you going to tell us anything or not?!" Kiba yelled.

"Are Ino and I the only level-headed ones out of this bunch? Shut up and let Zetsu talk." Shikamaru ordered.

"_Ugh. Finally. You guys really are wasting my time. Remember Ren?_ He's coming back with more ninja. Two Rock-nins, a mist-nin, and himself. They plan to attack at night, but I don't know if that's tonight or tomorrow. _And trying to hide won't help you. They have a tracker_."

"Why are you telling us this?" Kiba asked calmly. "You'd be grateful if they finished us off. It'd give you opportunity to get at Ruki and Akira. Why are you helping us?"

"That's what you think," Ino said. "If they killed us, then the twins would be in their hands, not Akatsuki's. Zetsu is helping us so that the twins stay in the same place with us. Easier to track and attack, right?"

"_Heh. And I was told that Shikamaru was the only bright one. _But since you know everything you need to know, _I'm leaving. More important tasks to deal with._" The plant-like structure closed over Zetsu's black and white head then he dissolved into the branch without a trace.

Jade immediately walked over to the twins, and Ruki wrapped her arms around Jade's leg. Jade stroked her hair quietly as Akira took a step closer to Jade's other side. He said, "I don't like being talked about as if I were just some tool just to be obtained."

"I know, Akira," Jade soothed, "but nothing's going to happen. I promise." She reached her hand behind his back and pulled him to her with no resistance.

_Talk about a tense atmosphere…_ Shikamaru thought. Jade suddenly locked eyes with him in a fierce fit of determination. She asked, "What are we going to do, Shikamaru?"

"Well, at this point, we still have a while til night. We'll figure something out, but for now as long as we keep moving, it'll be harder for us to be found at that point," Shikamaru said.

"Right," Jade sighed. "Let's get going then." Ruki and Akira reluctantly detached themselves from Jade and started walking. Jade spun her staff around and fastened it to her back on her waistband.

She took the twin's hands a lead the group on to certain unknowns.

XXXxxx--xxxXXX

It had been three days since the encounter with Zetsu, and no one had attacked. Everyone was on edge, Jade more than anyone. The group was halfway through The Land of Rice Fields, formerly known as The Land of Sound. After Orochimaru's reign, the country subsided into the background once again and was regarded as near-desolate. The only ones who lived there lived in the center area together. With a total population near one thousand, the country was relatively safe to pass around its borders, which our group was doing.

Night had fallen and camp was set.

"Whose turn is it to go get more wood?" Kiba asked. "The fire's barely smoldering."

"Shikamaru's," Jade said. "Go get some. I'm kinda cold."

The twins had long fallen asleep and now only the Jounin were left awake. Shikamaru reluctantly stood up as he said, "Alright, alright."

Ino watched him as he stood. He wasn't graceful. He sure wasn't outgoing. But he _was_ determined. Determined to get the twins to safety. _Almost as determined as I am,_ Ino thought. She shifter her weight a margin and opened her mouth to ask if Shikamaru wanted company when he said, "Hey, Ino, come with me would you?"

"Um, sure," she answered, eyes wide. She stood quickly and walked to his side. _He can't read minds, he can't read minds, he can't read minds…,_ she chanted.

After they were a few feet from the camp, an awkward silence hung itself in the air.

"Hey, Shikamaru," Ino started.

Shikamaru held a finger up and said quietly, "Don't talk."

Ino would have retorted if she hadn't seen that sly smile on his profile. He was up to something. But what? _He's not… no, he couldn't. Don't be stupid Ino. He's just lazy and doesn't want to carry all the wood by himself._

After they had walked a few more yards from the site, Shikamaru turned around to face Ino. He said, "There was something that I wanted to discuss."

_Thank goodness for the dark. I'm definitely a little red! He is. He does! I knew it!_

"It's about Jade."

Ino's jaw dropped. Her whole body shrank. _No._

"Well, it's about the twins too, but Jade is part of it," he said.

Ino mentally slapped herself then asked, "Well what is it?"

"Jade's really tense about what Zetsu said, and I still believe what I said at the inn. That she won't come to us first if anything happens to them. What I'm trying to say is, don't think twice about using your mental power to contact me in that kind of situation. And if you can do anything to relax her, please do. If anyone can do it, you can."

"If anyone, _I_ can? What makes you say that?!" Ino asked.

"Well," Shikamaru started. He looked off into the distance for a second, as if he were contemplating something important, then finished matter-of-factly, "I always feel better when I talk to you."

Another jaw-dropper. _Why is he doing this to me?! Nearly ten years together and _now_ he starts saying this kind of thing?! I don't know if he's serious or not! GRAAH!!_

Amazingly, the outside of Ino was well-composed compared to the inside. "Well," she said, "you always frustrate me when I talk to you, so I'm glad _something_ good could come out of the situation. But about Jade. I don't know if I'll be able to help that much. I mean, she is tense, but I wouldn't know what to say to her. And it's rude to tell her that you still don't trust her."

"Which is why I don't plan on talking to her," he said. "I want you to. Sometime, anyways. And it doesn't have to be about Zetsu. Just get her to trust us. We really do know what's best. We aren't blinded by her emotions."

"Right," Ino said. "I'll talk to her. Don't know how much good it'll do, but I'll try!" Ino smiled up at him. _"We aren't blinded by her emotions." Does that mean I, too, am blind?_

"There's something else I wanted to talk about." Shikamaru suddenly turned grave.

Ino slapped her fluttering heart. _Don't be stupid, don't be stupid._ "What?" she asked.

"You," he said. His eyebrows came together. "You haven't been yourself lately. Not as upbeat and obnoxious," he smiled, "as usual. Is something wrong?"

_Oh, just the fact that you're giving me really mixed signals. Well, they're not that mixed, but I don't know what to make of them._

"Of course not," she said. "I mean, _everyone's_ been tense these past few days, not just Jade. And I'm sorry I'm not being so _obnoxious_. I didn't know it was bothering you so much." She rolled her eyes.

"It's not that it's bothering me," Shikamaru said, "I just noticed, is all."

"So," Ino said, "is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"One more thing," he said. He smirked then looked to another area on her face. Ino couldn't tell where even though she could _see_ where he was looking.

"Shikamaru…?"

He took a step forward and touched the strand of hair in her face gently. "Why do you do this? The hair in front of your eye?" He slowly slid it behind her ear, and the night was too bright to hide Ino's fire-red complexion.

"It hides your beautiful face," he said.

That's when Ino decided that if a guy can make her jaw drop three times in less than five minutes, something crazy is going on.

And then Shikamaru kissed her.

As Ino wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands bowed her waist to him. With a smile inside, she thought, _I guess Ruki wasn't the only one who noticed the way I look at him. You _were_ right, you squirt._

XXXxxx--xxxXXX (_Back to Kiba, Jade, and the twins_)

"Hey, Jade?" Kiba asked.

"What?" Jade continued to stare into the smolders of the fire instead of looking at him.

"Don't worry so much about what Zetsu said. Ruki and Akira will be fine."

After a moment of silence, Jade said, "I'm not worried about that. I want to know why the Water and Earth Countries want them. They can all just go to Hell. Just why? Why my brother and sister? I act like I can protect them from everything. I try my best, but there _are_ ninja that are stronger than me. One wrong move on my part, and Ruki… Akira… they could be gone. They don't need this. They need a strong sister who can protect them without fail."

"Jade…" Kiba stared across the near-dead fire to her passionate eyes.

"It's just so frustrating! Why did the Kazekage have to seal the Falcon in them? Why did he choose them? I was perfectly willing, but he just said _no_. Sometimes… I just want to hit something!" Jade balled her hand into a fist and forcefully punched the ground.

"Calm down, Jade," Kiba urged. Akamaru gave a concerned whine.

"I can't stand it! It's so damn tiring! And then Shikamaru doesn't trust me, because I care for my siblings! What's wrong with him, huh?!" Jade's body began to shake where she sat. She pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly.

Acting immediately, Kiba stood and walked to her side. He squatted down in front of her, so she was forced to look at him. Her expression didn't relax.

"Jade," he said, "I promise you that Ruki and Akira will be safe. They're tough too, and you know that." He placed a hand on her arm. "So come on and snap out of it. What's done is done, and it can't be changed. And you are the best sister for them. You would unblinkingly give your life for them. You'll always be able to protect them."

Jade put her head down on her knees and sighed. "Thanks, Kiba," she mumbled.

"You're welcome," he replied. Smiling, he moved to sit beside her. He leaned over and said in her ear, "And if you ever need to hit something, you can hit me."

Jade picked her head up and smiled at Kiba. "You know I'm going to take that literally, right?"

Kiba slumped his shoulders and sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Just then, Shikamaru and Ino came back with bundles of wood in their arms. "I hope this will be enough for the night," Ino said.

"Uh, Ino?" Kiba asked, "Why do you have your hair behind your ear? You've never done that for as long as I've known you."

Ino blushed a tad but managed to dismiss the matter by yelling, "Well, what's it to you?!"

Kiba's eyes widened, and he said, "I was just asking. Jeez."

Jade looked up from her place beside Kiba. Shikamaru was throwing wood onto the fire. As he took a log from Ino's hand, Jade spotted Shikamaru distinctly running his fingers over Ino's. Jade smiled and put her head back down.

_Not dating, huh?_

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it's so short! But I thought you guys would enjoy something now rather than a lot later. But don't worry!! I'm back and operating for good! YAY!! And I know how much you all must be desperately waiting for the ShikaIno, so I hope you liked the little dose! The KibaJade, though, will come later… maybe. I HOPED YOU ENJOYED THIS!! Please review, those of you that have been waiting forever. **

**Next Chapter: Not Again…**


End file.
